Peer Recovery Coach Intern

Uses lived experience with substance use recovery to engage, support, and advocate for individuals in active use or early recovery within a low-threshold framework, meeting participants where they are without demanding abstinence.

Core Requirements

• Complete 500 hours of supervised work experience to qualify for official state peer certification
• Attend mandatory individual and group supervision sessions
• Log all direct and indirect service hours for certification board submission
• Apply feedback from supervisors regarding ethics, boundaries, and evidence-based peer support strategies

Responsibilities

Low-Threshold Substance Use Outreach

• Conduct mobile and foot-based outreach in encampments, public spaces, and known community hot-spots
• Distribute life-saving supplies, including naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and safer-use kits
• Build trust and rapport with highly vulnerable individuals who are actively using substances, utilizing a non-judgmental approach

Targeted Outreach & Care Coordination

• Collaborate with local emergency rooms, syringe service programs, and social services to locate and engage disconnected individuals
• Guide participants through complex healthcare and social service systems
• Facilitate direct connections to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), detox, inpatient care, primary medicine, and housing resources
• Help participants obtain identification, insurance, and food assistance to stabilize their lives

Code Red & Code Blue Shelter Protocols

• Provide critical staff support at emergency shelters during extreme weather activations (Code Red for extreme heat, Code Blue for extreme cold)
• De-escalate tense situations, provide emotional support, and monitor the safety of unhoused individuals seeking refuge
• Use shelter stays as an opportunity to introduce participants to long-term outreach services and care coordination

Requirements

• Personal, self-identified lived experience with substance use and a sustained period of stable recovery (typically 1-2 years preferred)
• High School Diploma or GED equivalent
• Completion of the foundational Peer Recovery Coach training hours (or willingness to complete them immediately upon hire) to begin tracking the 500-hour supervision requirement
• Strong communication, conflict de-escalation, and boundary-setting skills
• Knowledge of harm reduction philosophy is essential
• Ability to walk for extended periods during outdoor street outreach and work in varying weather conditions

Position Type: Per Diem
Benefits Eligible: No
Location: Ocean County, NJ
Department: Young Adult Services